Chinese New Year Traditions.

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NEW YEAR.

April 2026
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Chinese New Year 3

Year 2026 will be the "Year of the Horse beginning on February 17th.

It is Year 4723 by the Chinese calendar

Traditions

Preparations tend to begin a month before the Chinese New Year. Very similar to a Western Christmas.
This is when the people start buying presents, decoration materials, food and clothing.
The big clean up starts several days before the New Year.
Chinese houses are cleaned from top to bottom, to sweep away any traces of bad luck.
Even the doors and windows are given a new coat of paint, (usually red).
The doors and windows are then decorated with paper cuts and couplets.
These have themes such as happiness, wealth and longevity printed on them.

The entire house should be cleaned before New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, all brooms, brushes, dusters, dust pans and other cleaning equipment are all put away.
Sweeping or dusting should not be done on New Year's Day for fear that good fortune will be swept away.
After New Year's Day, the floors can be swept.
Beginning from door, the dust and rubbish must be swept to the middle of the living room.
It is all then placed into the corners of the room, and must not be taken or thrown out until the fifth day.

The rubbish in the corners must not be trampled on. The is a superstition attached to this.
If you sweep the dirt out over the threshold, you will sweep one of your family away.
Also, you must not sweep the dust and dirt out of your house by the front door
This will sweep away the good fortune of your family.
It must always be swept inwards and then carried out, then no harm will follow.
All dirt and rubbish must be taken out of the back door.

New Years Eve

The eve of the New Year is perhaps the most exciting part of the event. Here, traditions and rituals are very carefully observed in everything from food to clothing.
Dinner is usually a feast of seafood and dumplings, signifying different good wishes.
Delicacies include prawns, for liveliness and happiness, dried oysters (or ho xi), for all things good.
Raw fish, salad, or yu sheng is said to bring good luck and prosperity.
Fai-hai (Angel Hair), an edible hair-like seaweed to bring prosperity.
Dumplings boiled in water (Jiaozi) signifying a long-lost good wish for a family.

It's usual to wear something red as this colour is meant to ward off evil spirits.
Black and white are out, as these are associated with mourning.
After dinner, the family sit up for the night.
Generally playing cards, board games or watching TV programmes dedicated to the occasion.

Midnight.

At midnight, the sky is lit up by fireworks. Shooting off firecrackers on New Year's Eve.
This is the Chinese way of sending out the old year and welcoming in the New Year.
On the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, every door in the house,
and even windows, have to be open to allow the old year to go out.

New Years Day.

On the day itself, an ancient custom called Hong Bao. Hong Bao, means Red Packet, and the custom then takes place.
This involves married couples giving children and unmarried adults money in red envelopes.
Then the family begins to say greetings from door to door, first to their relatives and then their neighbours.
All debts had to paid by this time.
Nothing should be lent on this day, as anyone who does so will be lending all the year.
Back when tinder and flint were used, no one would lend them on this day or give a light to others.

Everyone should refrain from using foul language and bad or unlucky words. Negative terms and the word "four" (Ssu), which sounds like the word for death, are not to be uttered.
Death and dying are never mentioned, and ghost stories are totally taboo.
References to the past year are also avoided.
As everything should be turned toward the New Year and a new beginning.

If you cry on New Year's day, you will cry all through the year. Therefore, children are tolerated and are not spanked, even though they are mischievous.
On New Year's Day, we are not suppose to wash our hair.
This is because it would mean we would have washed away good luck for the New Year.
Red clothing is preferred during this festive occasion.
Red is considered a bright, happy colour, sure to bring the wearer a sunny and bright future.
It is believed that appearance and attitude during New Year's sets the tone for the rest of the year.
Children and unmarried friends, as well as close relatives are given lai see.
These are little red envelopes with crisp one dollar bills inserted, for good fortune.

Grudges.

For those most superstitious, before leaving the house to call on others. the Almanac should always be consulted.
Thus to find the best time to leave the home and the direction which is most auspicious to head out.
The first person one meets and the first words heard are significant as to what the fortunes would be for the entire year.
It is a lucky sign to see or hear songbirds or red-coloured birds or swallows.
It is considered unlucky to greet anyone in their bedroom so that is why everyone, even the sick.
They should get dressed and sit in the living room.
Do not use knives or scissors on New Year's Day as this may cut off fortune.

WWhilst many Chinese people today may not believe. These doe's and don'ts, are traditions and customs that are still practiced.
These traditions and customs are kept because most families realise that it is these very traditions,
whether believed or not, that provide continuity with the past, and provide the family with an identity.

The end of the New Year is marked by the Festival of Lanterns, which is a celebration with singing, dancing and lantern shows.

Although celebrations of the Chinese New Year vary, the underlying message is one of peace and happiness for family members and friends.

Check your year

Animal Years.

Rat 1924 1936 1948 1960 1972 1984 1996 2008 2020
Oxen 1925 1937 1949 1961 1973 1985 1997 2009 2021
Tiger 1926 1938 1950 1962 1974 1986 1998 2010 2022
Rabbit 1927 1939 1951 1963 1975 1987 1999 2012 2023
Dragon 1928 1940 1952 1964 1976 1988 2000 2012 2024
Snake 1929 1941 1953 1965 1977 1989 2001 2013 2025
Horse 1930 1942 1954 1966 1978 1990 2002 2014 2026
Ram 1931 1943 1955 1967 1979 1991 2003 2015 2027
Monkey 1932 1944 1956 1968 1980 1992 2004 2016 2028
Rooster 1933 1945 1957 1969 1981 1993 2005 2017 2029
Dog 1934 1946 1958 1970 1982 1994 2006 2018 2030
Boar 1935 1947 1959 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031

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